Box Score

LEXINGTON, Va. -- John Thompson kicked off his senior season with five goals, while Brooks Billings and Joey Rolando each added four points as the Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team opened up the 2015 campaign with a tremendous statement during a 13-9 victory over the 15th-ranked Washington & Lee Generals on Friday evening at W&L's Wilson Field.

Facing a tough challenge in their season opener, the Captains registered the team's second victory over a ranked opponent in program history. Thompson helped lead the way as the senior scored five goals and moved into second place on CNU's career points list with 106. Showing off a well-balanced attack, Christopher Newport also received a pair of goals from Billings and Alex Barber, while Rolando chipped in with three assists.

While the offense did its job, CNU's defense also held up against the potent Washington & Lee attack. Matt Hayden recorded nine saves to earn the victory, while the rest of the Captains forced nine turnovers. Brandon Moloney led the way with a pair of caused miscues, while Randy Foster added one to go along with four ground balls.

The victory marks Christopher Newport's first-ever win against Washington & Lee. It also stands as the first triumph in a season opener by the Captains since 2011. Additionally, the setback is the first in an opener by the Generals since the 2007 season.

Squaring off against a veteran-laden squad, CNU struck quickly to set the tone in the opening period. After the two teams traded runs during a frantic, back-and-forth sprint in the early part of the game, the Captains settled in after earning a man-up situation. Following the W&L penalty, the CNU offense peppered the visitors with an endless string of shots. Although the first five were turned away, the visitors showed great hustle and continued to back up their attempts to keep the ball in the offensive zone.

Still in control, the Captains finally broke the deadlock in the ninth minute of action. After corralling the ball, Billings dished to Thompson, who settled in on the left side of the goal. With a quick cut, the senior ripped a blast that ricocheted off the goalie's stick and spun into the back of the net for a 1-0 lead.

Although the Generals evened the score less than three minutes later, Christopher Newport shot back with a flurry at the end of the first period. Barber broke the tie with less than a minute left in the stanza after bullying through three defenders to collect his first goal of the game. Shortly thereafter, following a clean victory by Tony Cruz on the ensuing faceoff, Dave Magdeburger spun a dart from the right side to give the squad a 3-1 advantage after the first quarter.

Looking to keep the momentum, Christopher Newport extended its lead quickly in the second. In the first minute of the period, Rolando made a highlight-reel play. The junior standout chased down a W&L fast-break opportunity near midfield. With a bruising check, he forced a turnover after clubbing a stick right out of the hands of a General midfielder. Following the defensive play, he later regained control of the ball and fed it to Thompson, who blistered a one-timer from the left side to put CNU up by three less than a minute into the second period.

Holding a 4-1 lead, the Captains showed off a spectacular transition game to tack on two more goals in the middle of the stanza. First, Hayden made a tremendous outlet pass from the crease, which jumpstarted a fast break down the center of the field and eventually turned into a goal by Billings. Two minutes later, Patrick Miller scooped up a ground ball and sent a long feed across the field to Magdeburger, who made a sensational grab to generate another odd-man advantage. After collecting himself on the far side of the field, Magdeburger sent a gorgeous pass to Matthew Crist, who converted the first shot of his career to give CNU a 6-1 lead.

Staring at an ever-expanding deficit, the Generals tacked on two man-up goals at the end of the second quarter to pull back within three entering halftime.

Needing to steady themselves after a rough patch at the end of the first half, the Captains quickly found their rhythm again in the third period. Three minutes into the half, Rolando tucked some high heat just under the bar during an extra-man opportunity to snatch a 7-3 lead. One minute later, Barber made an exceptional heads-up play off an initial shot by Foster. Although Washington & Lee was able to stop the first attempt, Barber stormed in and pounded home the rebound for the squad's eighth goal of the evening.

Refusing to back off, Christopher Newport struck again in the middle of the third to snatch a 9-3 edge. After keeping control of the ball during a scrum on the near sideline, the Captains hit a few long passes to push the ball towards the goal. On the final feed, Rolando found Will Geise, who unleashed a quick hitter to grab a six-goal lead.

Needing to find an answer, the Generals burst through with three consecutive goals late in the third to make things interesting. Following the run, the hosts earned another man-advantage, but the CNU defense calmed down as Foster and Geise forced turnovers before Brandon Moloney added one of his own to send the game into the fourth quarter.

At the start of the final frame, the Captains looked to put the game out-of-reach. Thompson kicked off the opening push as he snapped off his third goal following a nice feed from Magdeburger. Later, after a solid defensive stand which included a great save by Hayden and a bruising hit by Brenden Dwyer, Billings blistered home his second goal following a pass by Mason Barry to grab an 11-6 edge with 11 minutes remaining in regulation.

Although Washington & Lee was able to hit on back-to-back possessions to pull back within three, Thompson had an emphatic answer to put the game away. With six minutes remaining, after great ball movement by Billings, Thompson settled in on the left side of the zone and beat his defender to secure a four-goal lead. Five minutes later, in the waning moments of the game, the fourth-year standout added the final exclamation point with his fifth goal to seal the 13-9 triumph.

Along with the leading scorers, Barber and Magdeburger both contributed three points, while Geise added a pair. Overall, eight Captains registered a point and seven found the back of the net.

Washington & Lee ended the game with a slim 36-35 edge in shots and a 38-35 advantage in ground balls. However, Christopher Newport converted 25 of its 27 clear attempts, and Cruz won nine faceoffs, including several crucial victories early in the game to give CNU extra possessions during the team's breakout performance.

The Captains will return to action on February 21 when the squad travels to Ferrum for a 1 p.m. battle.

---CNU---